Just an exercise to see what are your essential can't-live-without items. What things have proven themselves for you to be bought again without hesitation, if you would have to built up your makeup empire from scratch.

This is all too real- I thought I lost my makeup bag yesterday with some of my favorites in it. I was so annoyed and I called every business I've been too recently to see if they had it. It only took the whole day but I finally found it in my house! I was so happy and so annoyed all at the same time.
Here's my five:

Covergirl super thick lash- my perfect natural mascara
Missha perfect cover bb cream-can apply with fingers, so no brush is needed
Benefit dallas as blush, again because it looks so natural and the brush it comes with is very useable
Maybelline define a brow- don't need a brush, and it includes a comb
Dr pepper lip smacker. Not proud of this, but even if I can only have five, this must be included!

A cream blush like stila lilium and chanel revelation or intonation (longer wear than powder and I don't have to add a blush brush to the list...)

Burberry Mocha quad

My favorite foundation right now is giorgio armani lasting silk so I guess I'd pick up a bottle of that, though in reality I'd probably try to live off of foundation samples and no makeup days for a paycheck.

A good camouflage concealer - I've been eyeing Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage and I'll try it if my current Artdeco camouflage duo is used up (in...3 years or so, going by my usage).

A blush - MAC Cremeblend Blush in Ladyblush, probably. It's my go-to blush for over one year now.

Something for my brows! I'd get my current Dior brow pencil because the ashy, medium taupe colour is perfect for me (453 Sable/Sand) and it has a mascara spoolie on the other end for a brush-through to work the colour in well.

Lip colour - MAC Russian Red. My most-used MAC lipstick, can be worn opaque for an in-your-face red or sheer, dabbed on lightly. Also good as a creme blush.

A powder for combatting shine. MAC Blot Powder maybe? Or that Clarins one I've been meaning to check out (my MAC one is almost finished).

kevyn aucoin sensual skin enhancer because i can use it as concealer or to make foundation or sheer tinted moisturiser.

rmk pressed powder n in shade 03 because i can use it for slight colour correction, subtle illumination, sheer coverage, and to set makeup.

laura mercier luxe dual decker colour wardrobe for eyes and cheeks because it contains a collection of beautiful eyeshadows, three caviar cake eyeliners, an eye pencil, two blushes, a shimmer powder, and great eye brushes.

real techniques core collection of face brushes, plus the expert face, stippling, and blush brushes as well as the miracle complexion sponge because i lurve them.

loreal collection privee lipstick in cheryl's nude because it goes with everything.

...then i'd buy mascara and more lip colours, and a million other things, but you said i could only have five!

Allllll of my pencils are gone!!?!? I'd die. I have a huge collection of UD 24/7 pencils and I would just cry. But out of them my super triple favorite is Mushroom. Would have to replace that instantly. And Stray Dog. Oh god this is hard. I'd need a mascara, they're real is awesome. And some bb cream. What about my brows!? I need the brow brush and the powder. Only FIVE!? I give up.

L'Oreal Colour Caresse Lipstick in Blushing Sequin - such an easy color, and it goes with every look!

NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Powder in All Over Bronze Glow - such a diamond in the rough here, I feel like so few people know about it but it makes a killer bronzer for us light/medium ladies with yellow undertones. Very buildable, but you can also sheer it out if you use a light hand and a good brush.

1) mascara is an absolute must. my current choice would be clinique high lengths mascara
2) seventeen bb cream in nude
3) stila stay all day liquid eyeliner
4) naked 1 palette
5) any neutral pink lip colour, maybe rimmel apocalips in galaxy
6) sorry i need a blush too! sleek rose gold so that i could get a bit of highlight going on too. orrrr collection's cream blush/highlighter duo in peaches and cream, i love that lil dude and it would be a bit easier to apply with no brush !

My sigma travel kit for sure, as they're some of my favorite brushes and you can create essentially, an entire look from them.

My UD Naked Basics palette. I'm a student but I often have to look professional for my extracurriculars (mock trial, specifically) and I couldn't live without this palette.

My Tarte BB tinted moisturizer in 02. It's light enough, and yellow enough for me, and it's just fantastic to have with me. Works for any sort of look I do, and my skin looks better after beginning to use this (and other) Tarte products.

My Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes mascara. I love love love this formula! It makes my eyelashes look so pretty and full, I couldn't do without it.

Finally, it would be my Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder in Diffused Light. I'm in love with this powder! I don't know how to explain it, but it's illuminating while taking away the shine from any face product I use.. I really don't know how to describe it, but I love it.

This is cheating, but I would probably beg someone to loan me the money so I could get Anastasia's brow gel in brunette again. It works so nicely, especially with my hair color.

This actaully happened to me once! (minus the break in!) I went home on break from college (300+ miles away) and remembered belatedly I left my cosmetic bag on my dorm room dresser! EEK. I literally had nothing with me. :/

Foundation: KVD Lock It is currently my favorite. Could easily double layers to use as concealer.

Blush/Highlighter/Eyeshadow: Wet n Wild Sweet as Candy. Can use the Pink in it as blush and lid shade, the brow shade for an all-over highlight not just on your brow bone but everywhere else I need it, and the crease shade for the crease and can double as bronzer/contour and brows if necessary.

I could get away with this for a long long time; but this is more-so what to get away with 5 things assuming forever. If this was just first five things I'd replenish immediately; I'd exchange #5 out for Naked 1 and then the next thing i'd get would be any blush.

1) Diorskin Nude Skin Perfecting Hydrating Concealer
-- This is the best concealer I've found for when you need one product for blemished AND under eye circles. The "hydrating" factor means it covers flaky blemishes and doesn't crease under eyes.

2) Lancome Blush Subtil in Rose Fresque
-- I would select this one simply because it's my "my flush but better" shade. Plus the dusky/rosy nature means it can be worn with pinks and purple and browns on the eyes and lips, where as something like a coral pretty much locks you into wearing other colors in the orange family.

No brushes. In a crisis I would much rather make do with the tiny blush brush in the Lancome, the sucky brush in the UD, and the OK brush that comes with OCC lip tar than sacrifice a product on the list.

Blush/bronzer either or really can change my face so much. Plus I like it when my face can look glowey / full of life because who likes to look dull... not I kind ladies and sirs who may be reading this.

I have sorta bad acne I try to cover, and my skin is really dry from my acne medications, so I'd love to say I'd just skip primer at first and work on building my collection up slowly, but there are honestly > 5 things I'd have to get right away.

Primer - either the Laura Mercier or Cover FX primer I've been using samples of. Both are really good, and I want something to replace the Smashbox primer I had been using.

Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation in Light #46. I wouldn't even have to use concealer with this - the coverage is really good. Eventually I would get more concealer though since I often do use some, even with this (Hard Candy Glamoflauge in Ulta Light).

Urban Decay Optical Blurring Brush - What I use to apply the foundation. I'm looking into getting a Beauty Blender, though if I was rebuilding my collection and had to buy a few things ASAP to get me by, I'd definitely go with the Brush since I already know it's good and would be too afraid to try the Beauty Blender and not have anything to fall back on if I don't like it.

Smashbox Arced Eye Liner Brush - To apply my gel eyeliner. I'm so used to wearing eyeliner, I'd have to get a brush and gel eyeliner right away.

Stila Smudge Pot (black)

If I had to pick 5 things, I'd go with that. But realistically, I'd pick more, and they would include:

MUFE HD Setting powder (unless I found something else I like better) - Though this wouldn't be super top priority since I only use a bit in my t-zone. The rest of my face gets way too dry to begin with, even without setting powder.

Tarte Lights Cameras Lashes mascara

Eco Tools powder brush - I would be able to use this for both the setting powder and blush until I was able to get more tools.

Urban Decay setting spray - Either All Nighter or De Slick.... but probably All Nighter. I'm using the De Slick left over from when my face was super oily, but now that it's dry, I think I'd be better off with All Nighter.

Found this out on accident after leaving my mascara in my car during really cold temps, but it turns out that while chilled, I had absolutely no clumps, my eyelashes separated perfectly, and it still lengthened. My eyelashes looked fantastic and natural. I tested it a few times, and in comparison, the colder temps produced better results, in my opinion, than at room temperature. Keep in mind though, I don't know how it would effect other mascaras since the above mentioned is the only one I use.

So for now, I keep it in my car and it's the last thing I put on. I'm not sure what I'll do when the temperatures start rising.